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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
Plant Functional Groups And Species Contribute To Ecological Resilience A Decade After Woodland Expansion Treatments, Stephanie Freund, Beth A. Newingham, Jeanne C. Chambers, Alexandra K. Urza, Bruce A. Roundy, J. Hall Cushman
Plant Functional Groups And Species Contribute To Ecological Resilience A Decade After Woodland Expansion Treatments, Stephanie Freund, Beth A. Newingham, Jeanne C. Chambers, Alexandra K. Urza, Bruce A. Roundy, J. Hall Cushman
Articles
Woody plant expansions are altering ecosystem structure and function, as well as fire regimes, around the globe. Tree-reduction treatments are widely implemented in expanding woodlands to reduce fuel loads, increase ecological resilience, and improve habitat, but few studies have measured treatment outcomes over long timescales or large geographic areas. The Sagebrush Treatment Evaluation Project (SageSTEP) evaluated the ecological effects of prescribed fire and cut-and-leave treatments in sagebrush communities experiencing tree expansion in North American cold desert shrublands. We used 10 yr of data from the SageSTEP network to test how treatments interacted with pre-treatment tree dominance, soil climate, and time …
Multidisciplinary, Multisite Evaluation Of Alternative Sagebrush Steppe Restoration Treatments: The Sagestep Project, James Mciver, Mark W. Brunson
Multidisciplinary, Multisite Evaluation Of Alternative Sagebrush Steppe Restoration Treatments: The Sagestep Project, James Mciver, Mark W. Brunson
Articles
This special issue presents short-term ecological effects of restoration treatments imposed as part of the Sagebrush Steppe Treatment Evaluation Project (SageSTEP), and summarizes public attitude survey results related to restoration efforts. Funded by the US Joint Fire Science Program (JFSP; 2005–2011), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM; 2011 to present), the National Interagency Fire Center (2011 to present), and the US Fish and Wildlife Service (2010), SageSTEP was designed and implemented to provide treatment-related information to managers concerned about the rapidly changing condition of sagebrush steppe ecosystems in the US Interior West (McIver et al. 2010). At lower elevations, cheatgrass …
A Synopsis Of Short-Term Response To Alternative Restoration Treatments In Sagebrush-Steppe: The Sagestep Project, James Mciver, Mark W. Brunson, Steve Bunting, Jeanne C. Chambers, Paul Doescher, James Grace, April Hulet, Dale Johnson, Steve Knick, Richard Miller, Mike Pellant, Fred Pierson, David A. Pyke, Benjamin Rau, Kimberly Rollins, Bruce Roundy, Eugene W. Schupp, Robin Tausch, Christopher Jason Williams
A Synopsis Of Short-Term Response To Alternative Restoration Treatments In Sagebrush-Steppe: The Sagestep Project, James Mciver, Mark W. Brunson, Steve Bunting, Jeanne C. Chambers, Paul Doescher, James Grace, April Hulet, Dale Johnson, Steve Knick, Richard Miller, Mike Pellant, Fred Pierson, David A. Pyke, Benjamin Rau, Kimberly Rollins, Bruce Roundy, Eugene W. Schupp, Robin Tausch, Christopher Jason Williams
Articles
The Sagebrush Steppe Treatment Evaluation Project (SageSTEP) is an integrated long-term study that evaluates ecological effects of alternative treatments designed to reduce woody fuels and to stimulate the herbaceous understory of sagebrush steppe communities of the Intermountain West. This synopsis summarizes results through 3 yr posttreatment. Woody vegetation reduction by prescribed fire, mechanical treatments, or herbicides initiated a cascade of effects, beginning with increased availability of nitrogen and soil water, followed by increased growth of herbaceous vegetation. Response of butterflies and magnitudes of runoff and erosion closely followed herbaceous vegetation recovery. Effects on shrubs, biological soil crust, tree cover, surface …